The Antelope Valley Times

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State treasurer announces $300M in bonds for SoCal to Vegas high-speed rail

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SACRAMENTO – A state board has approved $300 million in private activity, tax-exempt bonds to XpressWest to finance a high-speed rail line that will connect Southern California to Las Vegas, authorities announced this week.

The debt was approved by the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee board, according to State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who serves as the board’s chair. The allocation was based on California’s debt ceiling for tax-exempt private activity bonds, which is calculated using an IRS formula. This year the total amount the state may allocate is $4.15 billion.

“This will transform transportation in Southern California and Las Vegas for generations by providing a fast and efficient connection that gets people out of their cars, reduces traffic congestion, and decreases air pollution,” Ma said. “But it will do far more. It’s a regional kick starter that will usher in a new era of economic development… by creating jobs, housing, retail, and commercial activity.”

Xpress West’s high-speed rail project will create about 10,000 construction jobs and over 1200 housing units, according to Ma. XpressWest plans to eventually operate 32 trains daily between Victorville and Las Vegas that will cover the 180 mile distance in about 90 minutes. Future plans include an extension to Palmdale, connecting the line to Metrolink and the future California High-Speed Rail Line, according to the company’s website.

“Treasurer Ma would not support a project at the expense of housing and what we see today is a proposal from XpressWest that spells out their vision for a train, housing and other important goals for this state,” said Deputy Treasurer Jovan Agee.

The approval is contingent upon XpressWest submitting an economic development plan to the committee that will outline the company’s goals in the areas of housing, jobs, traffic congestion, and workforce development.

XpressWest estimates the total cost of building the project will be $4.8 billion, with $3.2 billion spent in California.

[Information via news release from the State Treasurer’s Office.]

Previous related story:

High-speed rail project connecting SoCal to Vegas gets a new owner

China deal off for high speed rail to Vegas

Plans underway for high-speed rail between L.A. and Vegas

High Speed Train Summit coming to Palmdale

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41 comments for "State treasurer announces $300M in bonds for SoCal to Vegas high-speed rail"

  2. Almost all of Las Vegas has turned ghetto since the 2008 recession. There’s Section Eight now in places like Henderson and Summerlin, where it used to be nice. And city leaders in Las Vegas just keep building tons of apartments everywhere, plus the Raiders will be there soon. Everyone knows that Victorville has been ghetto since George AFB closed in the early 90s.

    So I guess we can call this train the “Ghetto Express”???

  3. Scroll down and notice that Plato and TravisB. have had nothing intelligent to say on anything on this site.

    Hey, Trumpist#1, we should take those “kids” to the zoo and feed them to the lions…..if they’ll have them.

    • Playdough spilled his guts and says he is a geezer. Do lions like grizzled, gamey, rotten carrion meat? They might choke on it and that would be animal cruelty.

      ANIMALS ARE GREAT, ANIMALS ARE GREAT, ANIMALS ARE GREAT! –Gutfeld

        • LOL…All of this because a commenter expressed his opinion about you. A little reminder here, that both of you have been delighting in offending people for quite awhile now, and we all know William has been an equal opportunity offender, (men, women, vets, Christians, grandma’s, grandpa’s, and children), for nine years now. I’m no innocent party here either, but this man checks you on your comments, and you both flip out for days. You’re both a couple of old grizzled geezers too, and the animals would probably choke on you which would be animal cruelty.

          • There ya go again, Alexis.

            The difference between you and all those others you listed and me, is that I don’t whine about it and claim being this or that as a shield of defense.

            I give as good if not better than I get and then the ones that want to “play” the game can’t act like innocent victims afterward. But they do.

            If you can’t take the heat stay out of the sauna.

            Can you possibly get that?

          • William…You get what you deserve, but I know that while you’re on here being offensive, you’re not at Trader Joe’s giving those checkers a hard time; or anyone else in your neighborhood. Eat a candy bar and take a trip to Las Vegas, and stay safe out there, O.K.? Oh, and yes, you do whine; just look at how you handled some truth sent your way by Plato. You go Plato!

          • BTW William…The “I give as good as I get,” definitely doesn’t apply to you. Every person that has tried to carry on respectful debates with you, has always devolved into nastiness coming from you, so, therefore, you have been the one giving out the copious amounts of nastiness, and when someone gives it back, then you flip out. Have a candy bar and chill.

          • Alexis, why are you willfully ignorant?

            Recall Plato coming out from under his rock and calling Trumpist#1 and me names as his opening post under that username that I can recall. So, we fired back.

            Then, Plato tried the personal profile as his excuse.

            Same thing with others like Sandra who said I don’t like Palmdale after I criticized Hofbauer. Go find a post of mine saying I hate Palmdale or the Antelope Valley. I’ll wait.

            I always have the feeling that people have to explain jokes to you. You have a very low minimum acceptable sense of humor even when you try. There are higher levels such as satire but that goes over your noggin. You don’t have enough background of our culture to “get” things.

            Even as Trumpist#1 and I went at it with guns blazing, we can still communicate well beyond your ability to grasp things.

            For example, when I said that the mushrooms are for the pickin’, your response was a lame reference to hallucinations. Wow!.

            However, and this applies to you, I used mushrooms rather than carrots because mushrooms are kept in the dark and covered with fertilizer. You liking Ben Shapiro is an example of that. He is full of fertilizer and not the good kind. He is an embodiment of evil on earth. And, you like him. Figures. His name should be Damien.

      • We all spill our guts on here, telling each other what we think. I don’t see anyone making fun of your screen names. You might not like his opinion of you, but this?

        • Just having “stupid boy” fun in a grim world. It’s not like they didn’t jump right in and provoke us. Let’s see how witty they can be. Sorry for any offense to you. It’s always like you to stick up for the underdog, lol.

        • Alexis. I’ve been called all kinds of names here. So, what? Now usernames are off-limtes because you said so. My favorite was Jack S. He asked for it.

          If someone comes here and fires at me and calls me names, they can’t hide behind “Grandma” as a defense against a return volley.

          I don’t know why you have trouble getting that. You’ve replied to my comments many times when they had nothing to do with you. Then, you play the victim if I reply back. You’ve admitted you are a hypocrite and that is how you show it at times.

          So, what does Plato being a vet have anything to do with his calling Trumpist#1 and me names other than to shield himself from likewise replies? No pass. One would think a “mature” adult would know better than to do that but obviously Plato isn’t one.

          • Agree. They can’t jump in our faces from left field calling us stupid in every sentence (3 times in one sentence) and not expect some response in kind. Check out the chronology.

            Alexis, you might be letting your personal feelings for William skew your perception of this particular discussion and sense of fairness.

            In the meantime, half my responses get squashed anyway, so Playdough and Travis B have a home court advantage. They wanted to play, they wanted to provoke us, so let’s see what they have. We don’t turn the other cheek.

            In other news, Hillary piled on today. What a despicable creature. 5 more years. KAG

  5. It’s all a charade to give the homeless one way tickets out of SoCal in time for Garcetti’s Olympics.

  6. Note IRS formula that is all retirement money Social Security going for a stupid bullet train

  7. Time to stop using taxpayer money on these very stupid trains with you and the governor with these bullet trains you guys are a complete jokes and a disgrace to the state put this money to better use the old homes for the vets in the homeless

    • Indeed. We should spend the money on another battleship.

      Because, you know we need the biggest, baddest military in the history of the world to project school children, church, mosques and synagogue goers, concert and movie goers shopping malls visiterrs and so on.

      • To change the subject, check out the museum tour of Battleship Iowa in San Pedro some time. Pretty impressive.

  8. While I like the idea of Palmdale being a transportation hub for the HSR and this project, I think Las Vegas should foot the bill. I know it’s mostly in California but I don’t favor making it easy and quick to shuttle Californians and their money across the state line to Nevada. Why not just mail our gambling money to Las Vegas and forget the rail line?

    Will Las Vegas residents flock to Victorville and the Antelope Valley to do what?

    Or, we could do like the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and charge Californians the full freight for a round ticket to and from Las Vegas and make the Las Vegas to California trip free. That way we could keep more money in California. N’est-ce pas? And, it would encourage Las Vegas residents to travel here more than they would otherwise if it were free.

    • “Will Las Vegas residents flock to Victorville and the Antelope Valley to do what?”

      1. View local wildlife ?
      2. Luxuriate in our world-renowned garden spot oasis ?
      3. Enjoy our magnificent cornucopia of cultural and scholastic richness ?
      4. Play Hunger Games with recent parolees ?
      5. Throw peanuts to the homeless ?

      Just trying to be helpful.

      • Then, there’s the World Class Destination Ramblas called the BLVD.

        What else can I say about that? “Look out for that “p”!” to paraphrase the George of the Jungle song.

        I wonder what the blvd will be like in 10 years….Detroit.

    • I don’t believe tax payers are on the hook for private activity bonds. In fact, they can be repaid with interest to the state. It’s just a mechanism to help private companies raise money when we feel there may be a public benefit. There’s really no possible downside. Let the private sector try a high speed rail. If it works, great. If not, it’s their problem.

      • It’s still shipping California money to Nevada. I doubt if it will balance the other way.

        The same thing with the drought a couple years ago. It takes 1 gallon of water to grow 1 almond. And, most of those almonds were shipped out of state. We might as well have shipped the water out of state.

        Meanwhile, residents have had to install all kinds of water saving devices, toilets and take out lawns when residential usage is 5-10% of the total.. If all the homes quit using water, it wouldn’t save that much. And then they are building a city on the Tejon Ranch. So, be ready for high water bills in the future when you can’t cut your usage any more to save money. I told ya so.

        • You know darn well this is our Social Security money going down the drain this money should be invested in the vets and the homeless…
          Are politicians lie about all the money they invest or where they give it from you think they’re going to tell you the truth this is donated money BULL

          • Your comment brings up two things that I know darn well.

            1) Social Security is a federal program that state issued bonds have absolutely no connection with.

            2) You are clearly so ill informed regarding the operations of government that you should really be too embarrassed to open your mouth.

          • You do not seem blissful.

            Social Security is a Federal system. This is about a state funding system. Your social security is safe from this maneuver.

      • I love fast trains and the good old USA could use at least ! to show these small minded people how the rest of the civilized world moves people and goods. All Aboard!!!!

  9. “future California High-Speed Rail Line”……….hahahahahahahahahaha

    Moonbeam’s boondoggle $90,000,000,000 train from nowhere to nowhere.

    The unfinished, wasted concrete structures are obscene.

      • You mean at the DFRC on Shuttle, F-18, SOFIA, X-29, laminar flow boundary high angle of attack program, etc. ????

        Nah. Never did, LOL.

        • Uh, my point being this , Castle Bravo.

          JFK said let’s put a man on the moon on May 25, 1961.

          We didn’t know how to do it. You would have called it a “space flight to nowhere.”

          July 20, 1969 Neal Armstrong messed up his “One small step for man…” statement but could be forgiven. It was a long trip.

          In a little over 8 years that was done. Nowadays, we can’t do jack. China is building high speed rail. The English and French did it under the English Channel. Lincoln built the Transcontinental Railroad DURING the War Between the States.

          Let’s hear it for doing nothing.

          • It’s going to take a massive effort and all your talent to credibly defend that bullet train project. Good luck with that, but I’ll just kick back and watch you try.

            If you can make a logical case that starting that project was a good thing for CA, you’ll be my debating hero.

            Think what that money could have done for the homeless (and brainless like me).

          • And I don’t have any heartburn with the concept, but the planning and execution…..*%#*@$&#……by incompetent, corrupt political hacks.

            Who made that money and why hasn’t anybody been held accountable, politically and criminally.

            Anyway, I like to drive. So as Rosanna Rosanadana used to say: Never mind.

          • And we won’t be getting anymore Social Security because of it. See what you Democrats have done? LOL

    • The concrete does make for some huge canvas for taggers though.
      Next step for the state will be to tear down the structures to get rid of the tagging.
      Then build there again rather than using the cheap option of running that train down the center of the 99

      • The concrete structures will be tribute shrines to the small minded obstructionists that have jacked up the cost and time to build this much needed mode.